


familiar

by orphan_account



Category: Bastille (Band)
Genre: Exhaustion, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Overworking, Showers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 06:36:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18405134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Dan was so exhausted, and he just needed something familiar.





	familiar

Dan was positively exhausted.

For the past three weeks he had been working non stop. He was having a hard time finding the time, let alone the ability, to just stop and take a deep breath, even if just for a second. Between touring all over Europe and working on the finishing touches for the album, rest and relaxation just had to take the back seat.

The rest of the guys did there best to help him out and often tried to make him sleep, make him take a moment just for himself, but it was nearly impossible. It wasn’t as though he wanted to be this tired, but it was as though his brain couldn’t shut off, it couldn’t stop working through the never ending list of things he had to do. Management was desperate for the new album, and so were the fans who had been hearing about ‘an album coming really soon’ for the past two years with no clear signs of it  _ actually happening. _ And even though they had just sent ‘Doom Days’ in to be mastered, the work didn’t seem to stop there. There were constant interviews, radio shows, award shows, special gigs, and not to mention the marathon he was training for.

There was just so much that still needed doing, and there was no end in sight.

It was terrifying.

For the past three weeks, he spent the nights feeling utterly helpless as he laid wide awake in his bunk, listening enviously to the snores and sleepy mumbles of the rest of the band as he tried desperately to just stop thinking, even for just a moment.

He tried everything.

He tried opting for more water and less coffee, he tried eating healthier and drinking less. He tried switching bunks, buying a weighted blanket, sleeping with more clothes on or less, in fact he even tried to give himself a few days off of training to see if that would make a difference.

But nothing did.

It was unsustainable and he knew it, running off of only two maybe three hours a night if he was lucky, and then having to spend a day with press, or with fans, or with management, ending the night with a show that he poured his heart and soul into. Even on their days off where they were supposed to just relax and do touristy things around the city Dan could not get himself to just take a break.

Which was why, even though he adored touring, he was so happy to finally get to go home.

As he dragged himself up towards the door to the small but comfortable flat and unlocked the door, he finally felt some amount of relief. He walked in and was disappointed to see the second coat hanger empty, meaning that his girlfriend must have gone out.

Which was fine, obviously. She was in no way obligated to be there every single time he got back from tour- especially considering that he always seemed to be traveling to a far away country for one reason or another- but he did have to admit that he was hoping that she would have been there. She was always good at comforting him, of supporting him when he was having a bad day, or in this case, a bad month. She was a great listener, always offering a shoulder to cry on but never pushing for an explanation, never trying to fix all his problems for him unless he asked.

But he never had to ask, because even just her being there was enough to calm him down, enough to make him feel grounded.

He sent her a quick text message to let her know he was home, but didn’t receive a reply.

He set his luggage down by the door, not bothering to bring it back to the room and actually unpacking. That was a job better left till later. He shuffled to the kitchen and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and a few tablets for the massive headache that never seemed to go away.

Once he took the medication, he grabbed one of the decorative throw blankets that he pretended to think were useless but actually adored and curled up on the couch, deciding to stay up and wait for his girlfriend so that he could greet her when she got home.

But then, after weeks of trying so desperately to sleep and failing miserably, the one time he did actually want to stay awake, his body betrayed him and he fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.

 

“Dan? Dan, love.”

Dan barely registered the voice as he blinked his eyes open, his neck and back stiff as he rolled slightly on the confined space of the couch.

“Daaaan.”

“I’m up, I’m up.” He mumbled sleepily, smiling as he found her hand and gently pulled it to guide her to the side of the couch, shifting to make same room for her. She slid in and fit perfectly between his arms.

“I missed you.” He whispered, suddenly feeling a bit emotional for some reason. He chalked it down to the sleep deprivation and the stress, but he also was just really happy to be home.

“I missed you too.” She whispered back, smiling and gently kissing the tip of his nose, making him laugh lightly.

“How long was I out?” He asked, tightening his arms around her and holding her close, relishing in the familiar sent of her shampoo.

“If you fell asleep as soon as you got back, probably about five hours? I had some important meetings at work so I didn’t get back until just now.” She mumbled into his neck, moving her hand that wasn’t trapped between them onto his head, massaging gently at his scalp. Dan would admit he did miss that about having long hair, he missed the soothing feeling of her fingers in it, tugging gently at the knots and scratching lightly at the roots. It still felt alright without the hair, but it wasn’t quite the same.

“Are you okay?” She asked and he realized he must of zoned out for a moment. He slowly blinked his eyes back open and met her gaze, smiling tiredly but sincerity as he nodded.

“I’m alright, just tired.” He paused to give her a chaste but loving kiss on the lips. “Happy to be home.”

“Mmm, I’m happy you’re home too.” She smiled brightly and Dan felt like he was falling in love all over again. “But you kind of stink, what do think of a shower?”

He chuckled slightly and loosened his embrace, helping her sit up and eventually standing up.

“Only if you come in with me.”

They didn’t typically shower together, both of their busy schedules meant they rarely coincided. Dan showered in the evenings because he was always sweaty and felt disgusting- whether it was due to a gig, or training, or even just spending the day in the studio- although spacier than their old one, still a bit stuffy, especially after spending about half a day in the same space. On the other hand, his girlfriend showered in the mornings because her long hair took ages to dry and she never wanted to deal with it in the evenings, and going to bed with wet hair was less than pleasant.

But all this meant was that this small moment of intimacy meant so much more. It wasn’t sexual in nature, but they both relished in the shared closeness, the openness between one another. Dan always struggled a bit with his body image and so did she, so they both understood that this came from a place of mutual respect and trust.

As they took turns standing under the steady flow of water, Dan took a moment to step back and reached for the body wash, a product he only really used on days like these- days where he reeked of airplane and travel. But to his surprise she swatted his hand away and grabbed it herself, squeezing a generous amount onto her hands and then massaging it into his skin with her hands- starting with his shoulders and then ever so slowly moving down his back and then back up again, focusing on his bicep, than his chest, then moving back to his shoulders and staying there for a while. Dan unwillingly let out a noise of content but he didn’t even have the energy to feel embarrassed as he treated him as though he was made of glass, as though he was the most precious thing in the world. It felt so good it almost hurt, and he wasn’t even surprised when he felt himself tearing up a bit.

He had never been treated this well, and he knew he was damn lucky to have found someone who loved him so much.

 

A few hours later, as he laid in bed awake for yet another sleepless night, he couldn’t help but feel content because finally, finally, he was home.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> My insomnia had been acting up again and I haven't properly slept in weeks and I've been listening to 4am and The Anchor a bit too much so uhhh this happened.  
> This isn't my usual style so if it sucks I'm sorry it's just been a day ya know.  
> ANYWAY I hope y'all had or will have a great day because I know life gets rough sometimes but I promise there's always a good in every day you just have to look for it a bit sometime.  
> Oh and let me know if y'all liked this and want to see more :)


End file.
